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I disagree - I think it's the future of work. Our company mission is to help people earn what they want. For some, this means working extra - for instance, to p

I disagree - I think it's the future of work. Our company mission is to help people earn what they want. For some, this means working extra - for instance, to pay off student debt. However, among contractors on our platform whose primary source of income is contracting (as opposed to a full-time job), over 90% work fewer than 40 hours per week. This means that they earn what they want, and choose to work less. As we talk about things like universal basic income, I think we also need to rethink the idea of a workweek. The contractors on Moonlight are not junior - 48% have 10+ years experience in technology (and 76% have 5+ years). I think it's a sign that what people expect in terms of work is changing.

npiazza83 9y ago
The key here is UBI, Universal Health Care, or affordable private insurance is still talk. Its a similar situation to those in London refusing to move out of the towers currently failing fire inspection code. The improvements won't be done and the city isn't going to replace the affordable housing. They'd rather live in a death trap than live on the streets. The state of labor is bad, but you're not helping. It seems you're selling snake oil unless you've already got plans in the pipeline to transition your contractors to salaried with health insurance options once they meet certain criteria. I really hope that (like Uber) you're just abusing the 1099 designation long enough that you get to an IPO. I can see this being fine for "moonlighting" but I truly hope this isn't the model of the future for all employment.
wayn3 9y ago
People pretend that platforms like Moonlightwork turn "developers" into "corner whores". Its quite the opposite. They assume all the operational overhead of running a consulting business and let you code. They empower you to be an entrepreneur without doing any of the hard stuff. As a contractor, I am able to sell as little hours as I want. Working from a thailand beach. Or Tokyo. Or Las Vegas, where I currently reside. I can operate this as a business. Meaning that I can immediately reinvest the money into a side venture without taking the employment tax hit. I can set my own hours, work other projects, don't answer to a boss and don't dance with HR. I make 4x the cash I could make working a real job. I don't get fucked over on overtime. Does moonlightwork beat working a very senior position at google headquarters? Probably not. But not everyone has the means or ambition or willingness to do the SF grind. Doing contract work is a very easy path to becoming a millionaire if you're good. You can easily take home 250k+ here. Live whereever you want. Its a very easy life. I've never been inside an office and I will never be. Never going to be stuck in traffic. Or with people I don't like. Always around my loved ones. As far as those platforms are concerned, Moonlight Work is easily the best. All the power to Emma and Phillip. I don't know their numbers, but they will make it big. Sky is the limit, guys. I'd immediately come work for them if they offered me a job. These guys only charge 15% on top of what you make. That's a joke. They could easily justify 35%. Moonlight Work is the shit. Screw the haters.
- philip1209 9y ago
  Thank you! Not all entrepreneurs have to be product-based. I have friends who are sales experts and know no engineering, but have setup successful reseller businesses (e.g. of Cisco products). I think that freelancing for engineers can be very similar - you don't have to make a product or raise funding to get the flexibility associated with being an entrepreneur. Regarding remote work - after I shut down my last startup, I started freelancing, then promptly sold all my stuff and moved to Mexico City (where I am now). It's been liberating to live on my own terms.

npiazza83 9y ago

The key here is UBI, Universal Health Care, or affordable private insurance is still talk. Its a similar situation to those in London refusing to move out of the towers currently failing fire inspection code. The improvements won't be done and the city isn't going to replace the affordable housing. They'd rather live in a death trap than live on the streets. The state of labor is bad, but you're not helping. It seems you're selling snake oil unless you've already got plans in the pipeline to transition your contractors to salaried with health insurance options once they meet certain criteria. I really hope that (like Uber) you're just abusing the 1099 designation long enough that you get to an IPO. I can see this being fine for "moonlighting" but I truly hope this isn't the model of the future for all employment.

wayn3 9y ago

People pretend that platforms like Moonlightwork turn "developers" into "corner whores". Its quite the opposite. They assume all the operational overhead of running a consulting business and let you code. They empower you to be an entrepreneur without doing any of the hard stuff. As a contractor, I am able to sell as little hours as I want. Working from a thailand beach. Or Tokyo. Or Las Vegas, where I currently reside. I can operate this as a business. Meaning that I can immediately reinvest the money into a side venture without taking the employment tax hit. I can set my own hours, work other projects, don't answer to a boss and don't dance with HR. I make 4x the cash I could make working a real job. I don't get fucked over on overtime. Does moonlightwork beat working a very senior position at google headquarters? Probably not. But not everyone has the means or ambition or willingness to do the SF grind. Doing contract work is a very easy path to becoming a millionaire if you're good. You can easily take home 250k+ here. Live whereever you want. Its a very easy life. I've never been inside an office and I will never be. Never going to be stuck in traffic. Or with people I don't like. Always around my loved ones. As far as those platforms are concerned, Moonlight Work is easily the best. All the power to Emma and Phillip. I don't know their numbers, but they will make it big. Sky is the limit, guys. I'd immediately come work for them if they offered me a job. These guys only charge 15% on top of what you make. That's a joke. They could easily justify 35%. Moonlight Work is the shit. Screw the haters.

philip1209 9y ago
Thank you! Not all entrepreneurs have to be product-based. I have friends who are sales experts and know no engineering, but have setup successful reseller businesses (e.g. of Cisco products). I think that freelancing for engineers can be very similar - you don't have to make a product or raise funding to get the flexibility associated with being an entrepreneur. Regarding remote work - after I shut down my last startup, I started freelancing, then promptly sold all my stuff and moved to Mexico City (where I am now). It's been liberating to live on my own terms.